Preservatives, like sorbate, benzoate and organic acids have been used in food products. Such preservatives offer a degree of microbiological inhibition. However, conventional preservative systems, in order to be effective, require the presence of high levels of organic acids and other microbiological inhibitors in order to ensure microbiological stability. Particularly, standard preservative systems are known to dramatically alter the flavor characteristics of food compositions, rendering the same safe but lacking or unacceptable to consumers from a taste and/or performance standpoint.
Salads, like chilled salads having high levels of protein, are especially difficult to make microbiologically stable. This is true because such salads often have a pH above 4.5 (usually over 5.0) and contain mayonnaise-type products, fats, meats and/or fish as well as water and carbohydrates, thus needing a plethora of antimicrobial agents to render the same safe for human consumption. Moreover, products like real mayonnaise and products made with real mayonnaise are especially difficult to stabilize because only certain preservatives can be used in order to comply with the standard of identity for products labeled as real mayonnaise.
It is of increasing interest to develop a consumer product comprising a natural preservative system that may be used in home and personal care compositions and food and beverage products, and especially, food products that contain an oil-in-water emulsion like real mayonnaise. This invention, therefore, is directed to a consumer product comprising a natural preservative system and a method for making the consumer product. The natural preservative system comprises components derived from, for example, mustard seeds. In a preferred embodiment, the natural preservative system comprises a mixture of isothiocyanates, and surprisingly, is suitable for use in a variety of consumer products without having a negative impact on flavor and product performance characteristics. Such a natural preservative system preferably results in a consumer product with more than about 75 ppm isothiocyanate, based on total concentration of the consumer product, and preferably, comprises a mixture of isothiocyanates comprising aliphatic and aromatic isothiocyanates at a concentration ratio from about 1:2 to about 1:25.
Additional Information
Efforts have been disclosed for making preservative systems. In U.S. Pat. No. 6,361,812, products that may be made with less than about 75 ppm of isothiocyanate compounds and at least one of a sorbate and benzoate are described.
Other efforts have been disclosed for making preservative systems. In U.S. Pat. No. 6,558,723, products that may be made with less than about 75 ppm of isothiocyanate compounds and at least one of a sorbate and benzoate are described.
Still other efforts have been disclosed for making preservative systems. In U.S. Patent Application No. 2003/0211209, products that may be made with less than about 75 ppm of isothiocyanate and at least one of a sorbate and benzoate are described.
None of the additional information describes a consumer product with a natural preservative system and a method for making the consumer product wherein preferably present within the natural preservative system are at least one aliphatic isothiocyanate and at least one aromatic isothiocyanate at a concentration ratio from about 1:2 to about 1:25 and further wherein the natural preservative system makes up more than about 75 ppm of the total concentration of the consumer product it is employed in.